New Jersey Exercises 1st Round Swap with Blues

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has confirmed that the Devils will be swapping 1st round picks with the Blues, an option that New Jersey had due to a 1999 ruling handed down in a tampering case.

The ruling, which was made in January of 1999, awarded the Devils one first round draft pick (which they took in 2001) and gave them the right to swap first round picks one time as punishment for signing a contract with Scott Stevens before he became a free agent.

The Blues do have the ability to defer till next season but Larry Pleau has stated he won’t be deferring.

The swap means the Blues could pick in 3 different slots in the 1st round:26th: If Vancouver, Minnesota, or Anaheim wins the Stanley Cup.27th: If Ottawa wins the Stanley Cup.30th: If New Jersey wins the Stanley Cup